TEETH aren’t supposed to be white.
In fact our so-called ‘pearly-whites’ should be no more than a B1 on the tooth colour scale – that’s a creamy white. Although try telling a Hollywood actor that ‘ecru’ is all the rage.
Staff at Smile Stylist have solved the problem of patients lying there, mouth agape, with nothing to do for 45 minutes other than stare at the ceiling, by providing movies to watch during the treatment.
However, if your teeth are your own and you’d like it to stay that way, you may as well get the image of Tulisa Contostavlos and her unusually white gnashers out of your mind. Her reported £12,000 veneers ought to be included in the white goods list on her home insurance.
A realistic, natural white smile can be achieved much quicker, cheaper and easier. Smile Stylist, the cosmetic dental practice in House Of Fraser Manchester use a system called Zoom to whiten and brighten the teeth within the hour.
Dr Sandeep Kumar, owner of Smile Stylist, has been working as a dentist for 12 years. He’s also General Dental Council registered. The GDC’s guidelines are online for everyone to refer to and if you are considering teeth whitening as they offer advice on what to expect and more importantly what to ask ahead of your treatment.
Zoom teeth whitening can achieve shade B1
Luckily, Dr Kumar has all the answers. As with all dental treatments at Smile Stylist, teeth whitening is a very individual experience, meaning some people may experience slight discomfort and others won’t. The good news however, is this threshold is monitored constantly and treatment tailored accordingly. As I had no discomfort whatsoever, this meant Dr Kumar could perform the full Zoom treatment, lasting a total of 45 minutes.
The treatment itself is fairly mundane, but as far as trips to the dentist go, it’s probably the most enjoyable appointment I’ve ever experienced. Once seated, your mouth is prepped with protective shields and gels to prevent the whitening agent touching your mouth, gums or lips. The whitening agent is then applied to teeth before an intensive light is directed onto your teeth to activate the whitening agent. And then for the fun bit...
Staff at Smile Stylist have solved the problem of patients lying there, mouth agape, with nothing to do for 45 minutes other than stare at the ceiling, by providing movies to watch during the treatment. Yes, movies to take your mind off your mouth. And it really does work.
Which movie would you like to watch while you have your teeth whitened?
I opted for The Proposal for a bit of Hollywood smile inspiration from Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. It certainly took my mind off my own gag reflex for the duration as, let’s not kid ourselves, it’s rather a long time to have your mouth open. The only time my flick got interrupted was when Dr Kumar wanted to check if I was feeling any shoot pains or discomfort.
Forty-five minutes later and engrossed in Reynolds, I was done and able to rinse out my mouth ready to reveal my newly whitened teeth. The results were clear to see immediately and, as Dr Kumar said, my teeth had gone up a number of shades but still looked completely natural.
Lynda Moyo having Zoom Teeth Whitening (and watching a movie)
And so for the maintenance. It didn’t surprise me to learn that most whitening toothpastes are for want of a better word, useless. Can you name a person who has actually achieved a dazzling white smile from simply using Pearl Drops? To hazard a guess, no.
This, according to Dr Kumar, is because by British law off-the-shelf whitening toothpastes can only contain 0.1per cent of the teeth whitening agent as opposed to the 22 per cent in the Zoom method.
As an alternative that actually works, Smile Stylist can also offer Enlighten, an at-home teeth whitening system that works in conjunction with the in-chair treatment for the whitest possible teeth – up to sixteen shades. The combination of Zoom and Enlighten achieves the greatest results according to Dr Kumar.
Lynda's teeth, before and after
But for the time being, moving up six shades in a lunch break was good enough for me. Days later and back on coloured food and drink (you have to avoid food and drink that stains for 48 hours after your treatment) the results are still really noticeable. I’ll definitely be going back for a top up and a movie next year.
The one hour Zoom teeth whitening treatment currently costs £249 (normal price £498). For more information please visit www.smilestylist.co.uk
